Community News For The South Windsor Edition

SWCA Presents Pianist Claire Huangci In Concert

SOUTH WINDSOR — On Sunday, Jan. 7, South Windsor Cultural Arts will feature pianist Claire Huangci in concert. The concert starts at 2 p.m. at Wood Memorial Library, 783 Main St. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. Come early for best seats. The concert is free and donations are welcomed.

A child prodigy that began her international career at the age of nine, Huangci has won first prize in numerous competitions, including the 2009 International Chopin Competition in Darmstadt and the 2010 Chopin Competition in Miami. She released her second solo album on the Berlin Classics label in 2015, following her debut CD of solo works by Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev.

The program will include Beethoven's "32 Variations for Piano in C minor"; Brahms' "Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op.24"; and, a selection of Études, Preludes and Nocturnes by Chopin. For information, call 860-416-6920 or 860-289-1783.

Lap Quilts For Wounded Heroes

SOUTH WINDSOR — The First Church "Sewin4Servicemen" is hosting the 5th annual Stitch Lap Quilts for Our Heroes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the following Saturdays: Jan. 27, Feb. 24, March 24 and April 28, at First Congregational Church, 993 Main St.

Quilters, Stitchers, crafters, cutters and ironers are welcomed to join in making wheelchair-sized, lint-free quilts. No quilting experience is necessary. Fabric and beverages will be provided. Bring your sewing machine with pre-wound bobbins and a brown bag lunch.

Organizers are hoping to surpass the previous number of participants and quilts made. The quilts are distributed to veterans in local facilities with the assistance of American Legion Post #133. For information or to register contact Firstchurchsw@gmail.com, Borre@cox.net or Judy at 860-528-7992.

The talk is entitled "Dispelling the Myths of Anti-Israel Propaganda." All are welcome. There is no charge for this event. For more information, contact the office at 860-282-8466. Light refreshments will be served.

Pot Luck Dinner

SOUTH WINDSOR — The South Windsor Down to Earth Garden Club will hold its annual potluck dinner at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10, at the Avery Street Christian Reform Church, 661 Avery St.

At 7 p.m., there will be an informal conversation with Michele Lipe, South Windor's Director of Planning. She will speak on her role in the town's government and then will answer questions. For more information, visit www.swgardenclub.org or call 860-644-8165.

South Windsor Community Chorus Winter Concert

SOUTH WINDSOR — The South Windsor Community Chorus upcoming concert, "Winter's Heartbeat," will take place at 7 p.m. on Jan. 13, at the South Windsor High School, 161 Nevers Road. Experience a musical holiday farewell with songs of wonder, classical favorites, and generally fun music. Susan Leach-Hebert will direct the program with David Wallace as the accompanist. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and students and free for children under 12 and military personnel in uniform. For more information, visit www.swchorus.org or 860-875-2549.

JWRP's Momentum Trip

SOUTH WINDSOR — The JWRP's Momentum trip – run in partnership with Mitzvah Mamas, based in South Windsor, brings mothers to Israel with children at home under the age of 18. To learn about the JWRP MoMentum opportunity, join Mindy Glickman and Momentum alumnae at an information session. The ideal candidates are mothers raising Jewish children, who live within a 30-minute drive of South Windsor and who are not traditional Sabbath observers. The application process is now open and interviews are being scheduled.

The trip is listed as "Womans 2018/ South Windsor, CT./ October 22-29, 2018." For questions, contact Mindy Glickman at MitzvahMamas@gmail.com or 917-698-7952.

Free Braille Calendars

AREA — The Community Outreach Office of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut has 2018 Braille calendars, free of charge. For more information, contact info@nfbct.org or 860-289-1971.

Hand Strength Exercise Classes

SOUTH WINDSOR — Hand strength exercise classes will take place at South Windsor Senior Center, 150 Nevers Road, at 2:30 p.m. every Tuesday. Cost to attend is $2 per class.

In this class, the focus will be on improving strength and dexterity of the hands. All fitness levels are encouraged, and everybody will learn techniques that will instantly increase hand strength as well as decrease hand pain. Proper form will be emphasized, and participants will discover how the correct placement of the hands will increase all lifting potential. All equipment will be supplied by the instructor. To register or with questions, call 860-648-6361.

Friendly Shopper Volunteers Available

SOUTH WINDSOR — South Windsor's Adult and Senior Services has volunteers available to help South Windsor residents with grocery shopping. If you have trouble navigating the grocery store on your own, let one of our screened volunteers assist. Volunteers are able to help you or can get groceries for you. Call Lindsey for more information to see if you are eligible. This is not a service based on financial need; rather based on physical need. Call 860-648-6361, ext. 319.

Community Action Agencies Accepting Energy Assistance Applications

AREA — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services just released $67,255,113 in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding. This amount is 90-percent of LIHEAP funds allocated for the State of Connecticut.

Connecticut residents struggling to pay their utility bills this winter can apply for home heating assistance through Connecticut's Community Action Agency Network. The Community Action Agencies (CAAs) are the only nonprofit agencies administering LIHEAP, which provides home heating assistance to Connecticut's most vulnerable residents. Each CAA has application intake sites throughout their service regions. Some sites may include local town halls, and customers should check with their local CAA for a complete site listing.

In Connecticut this program is called the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) and is housed under the Department of Social Services (DSS). The state's Community Action Agencies administer the $74M+ program locally in all 169 cities and towns. CAAs are now accepting CEAP applications for the 2017-2018 winter season and expect more applications in the coming weeks, especially as temperatures begin to drop. Homeowners and/or renters may apply, and funds may be used to pay for whatever source of heating residents have in their homes. This includes wood, electric, oil, kerosene, or natural gas.

CAAs will certify oil deliveries starting Wednesday, Nov. 15, for those who heat with oil, propane, and deliverable fuels. May 1, 2018, is the last day households can apply for benefits unless the household is utility heated and has a shut off notice for its primary source of heat. May 15, 2018 is the last day a utility heated household with a shut off notice for its primary source of heat can apply for benefits.

Another protection for Connecticut's struggling families is the utility moratorium, or winter hardship, which provides protection for eligible households against heat source shut-offs between November 1st and May 1st. Gas and electric utilities cannot be shut off (summer or winter) if lack of the utility creates a life-threatening situation. If a customer is having trouble paying their utility bills during the winter moratorium period, Community Action Agencies will work with them on affordable utility payment programs, including the Matching Payment Program (MPP) and Below Budget Payment Plans. MPP is a payment incentive program that allows eligible utility customers to maintain year-round electric and gas service and pay an agreed-upon amount each month to pay down the balance on their heating bill. If customers cannot afford the utility payment plan, CAAs work with the customer and can submit a Below Budget Payment Plan based on the household income and expenses.

A CEAP benefit to a household automatically makes that household eligible for weatherization services. So, in addition to heating assistance, CAAs will refer customers to those agencies providing weatherization services, which helps minimize energy-related costs and fuel usage in homes through retrofits and home improvement measures. Additionally, there are funds available this year through the CAA for heating system repair and replacement if such services are deemed necessary and as the amount of funds allocated allow. Lastly, when a customer comes to a CAA for energy assistance, the agency will also assist customers in accessing other benefits for which they may be eligible including SNAP and other food programs, financial counseling, child care, and case management.

Connecticut's poorest families struggle each and every year to heat their homes in this a state with one of the highest utility rates in the country; customers many times having to choose between heating and eating or heating and paying for their medicines. CEAP allows them to not only cover high home energy costs and keep warm during the cold winter months, but gives low-income families the opportunity to address other critical, basic needs, rather than having to choose between them. Any resident who needs help paying their heating bill this winter should contact their Community Action Agency immediately.

For more information on Connecticut's Energy Assistance Program, how to find your local CAA to apply, or to make a donation, visit www.cafca.org or contact the Connecticut Association for Community Action (CAFCA), 144 Clinton Street, New Britain, CT, 06053, 860-832-9438.

Senior Activities

SOUTH WINDSOR — The following activities for seniors will take place at the Charles N. Enes Community Center, 150 Nevers Road. To register for any free program, call Human Services at 860-648-6361, ext. 335. Register in the office for any program requiring payment.

Men's Morning Group: This new Men's group will meet the third Friday of every month at 9 a.m. Enjoy light refreshments and outdoor lawn games. Call to register.

Walkers: If you want to walk outside but don't want to walk alone, join this group as they walk the trails right behind the Community Center. The group meets at the Rotary Pavilion on Chief Ryan Way every Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30 a.m. weather permitting, to walk at a slow pace.

SOUTH WINDSOR — The South Windsor Public Library, 1550 Sullivan Ave., is offering the following events.

Family Stories are offered at South Windsor Public Library on most Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. This half-hour of stories and activities is presented by the Children's staff and no registration is required. Family Stories is geared toward children ages 3 and up with at least one adult member of their family.

Students age 10 and up are invited to register for the Amazing Animators Club at South Windsor Public Library. The Club meets on the 4th Saturday of the month. The group meets in the Computer Lab in the Children's Department and works on stop motion animation films that will be uploaded to the library's YouTube account. Space is limited. Call 860-644-5404 if you have any questions.

Older elementary readers are invited to join the Nutmeg Book Review at South Windsor Public Library; registration is necessary. Guests may register by calling 860-644-5404 or coming into the Children's Department at the library.

Special Needs Hockey Team Recruiting New Players

AREA — The Connecticut Chasers, an ice hockey team for individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities, is recruiting new players for the 2017-18 season, running from Nov. 4, through March 10, 2018.

Weekly practices are at Simsbury Farms Skating Rink in Simsbury from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The team is looking for players of all abilities and skill levels ages 8 and up. "Learn to Skate" sessions are offered for those new to the ice.

Prospective players and their families are invited to attend a practice to see the fun for themselves. Some equipment is available to borrow for anyone who wants to try a practice session before joining.

Athletes from throughout the Greater Hartford Area and beyond are welcome. Current players are from Avon, Canton, Ellington, Farmington, Glastonbury, Simsbury, South Windsor, and Windsor.

The Chasers were founded in 1997 by former Hartford Whaler Kelly Chase and the Connecticut Down Syndrome Congress to provide a team experience for the players while helping them improve their self-esteem, social skills, gross motor skills and coordination. The team is a proud member of the American Special Hockey Association and Special Hockey International.

Last season, the Chasers had the honor of serving as "Blue Line Buddies" for the Hartford Wolf Pack, standing on the ice with the team during the National Anthem before a game at the XL Center. The Chasers are looking for similar opportunities this season.

The team also has scrimmages with the Southern Connecticut Storm of Bridgeport and the East Coast Jumbos of Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Email Ctchasershockey@gmail.com for more information.

Silver Sneakers Exercise Classes

SOUTH WINDSOR — The South Windsor Senior Center, 150 Nevers Road, is now a member of the Silver Sneakers FLEX Community and can now offer Silver Sneakers Exercise Classes at the center.

Silver Sneakers are exercise classes that are offered to seniors with certain insurance plans, for free. Don't have silver sneakers insurance? You can still enjoy these classes for a fee of $2 per class, drop in. If you aren't sure if your insurance plan includes Silver Sneakers, call the center at 860-648-6361.

The new Silver Sneakers classes being offered include cardio on Monday and Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., muscle madness on Monday and Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., circuit on Tuesday and Thursday at 9 a.m., and classic on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m.

Men's Group

SOUTH WINDSOR — A new men's group will meet the second Thursday of every month at 9 a.m. at South Windsor Human Services, 150 Nevers Road.

Enjoy light refreshments and meet new friends. Organizers are open to and look forward to suggestions on how guests want this group to run. Call 860-648-6361, ext. 335, to register anytime.

Troops generally meet twice a month at local schools to plan activities that encourage cooperation, friendship, community service, and skill building. Adult volunteers are needed. No prior experience is required and training and support are provided. For further information, email flkopper@sbcglobal.net or contact Lisa Kopper at 860-644-8588.

Fire Department Recruiting New Members

SOUTH WINDSOR — The South Windsor Volunteer Fire Department is currently recruiting new members of all ages and abilities who possess a desire to help and a passion for service, as well as a sense of pride and tradition.

Positions include firefighter, fire police, fire explorer for youth ages 14 to 17, support staff and fire and life safety. All training and equipment is included. For more information, please visit www.southwindsorfire.org or contact Deputy Chief Scott Fine at 860-463-0500 or via email at sfine@southwindsorfire.org.

Lunch With Rabbi

SOUTH WINDSOR — Lunch With Rabbi, a monthly study for adult learners with Rabbi Jeffrey Glickman meets the last Thursday of every month at Temple Beth Hillel at noon. No reservation is required.

A soup lunch is provided. For more information, contact the Temple at 860-282-8466 or admin@tbhsw.org. Temple Beth Hillel is located at 20 Baker Lane.

FISH Seeking Volunteers

SOUTH WINDSOR — South Windsor FISH (Friends In Service Here) is seeking additional volunteers for their transportation and telephone rosters. Volunteers serve only one weekday a month, either providing transportation to doctor's appointments or recording appointment requests. Call Phyllis Oswald at 860-644-2910 for more information.

Nutmeg Senior Rides

AREA — Nutmeg Senior Rides provides door through door transportation for seniors and the visually impaired in North Central Connecticut, and now has the online capability for volunteers to pick the rides that fit their schedule.

Volunteer drivers help riders shop and pick out their items, go to doctor appointments, bingo, lunch with friends and more. Mileage for drivers is reimbursed at 40-cents per mile.

Volunteer drivers are needed for expanded service in Bloomfield, East Granby, East Windsor, Enfield, Granby, Somers, South Windsor, Suffield, Windsor, and Windsor Locks.

SOUTH WINDSOR — South Windsor American Legion Post 133 wishes to recognize family members residing within the town who have relatives currently serving as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States.

Family members, defined as spouse, parent, sibling, or other close relative, are eligible to receive recognition as a Blue Star Family member. Post 133 would like to present a Blue Star pin to any South Windsor family member in honor of a currently serving relative. Anyone who believes he or she qualifies is asked to contact Art Sladyk at 860-648-1711 or aps1144@cox.net.

Friday Night Services

SOUTH WINDSOR — Temple Beth Hillel of South Windsor, 20 Baker Lane, is inviting the community to join them for Friday night services. Temple Beth Hillel is a reform Synagogue that has a social driven community.

Services led by Rabbi Jeffrey Glickman start Friday evenings at 7 p.m., with music by Cantor Scott Harris. Stay afterward and talk to friends and make new ones. All are welcome. For more information, contact the office at 860-282-8466, email admin@tbhsw.org or visit TBHSW.org.

Meals On Wheels Volunteers Needed

SOUTH WINDSOR — Meals On Wheels is seeking volunteers to deliver to homes in South Windsor. Commitment can be as little as once a month. Training available. Call South Windsor Human Services at 860-648-6361 for details.